Road Runner

On Sunday, she was in Grande Prairie, participating in the 2014 Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure.

“Breast cancer is a cause that deeply motivates me and I am excited to have contributed to Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s vision of creating a future without breast cancer,” says Kandah. “I am in Canada and my mom is in Zimbabwe, as she fights breast cancer. I am not there to hug her or hold her hand as she goes through chemo. That’s the worst feeling ever!

“When I got the news that she has breast cancer, I felt hopeless. I did not know what do.”

At 5 km, the race is one of the shortest of the summer, but one of the most satisfying, as she raised close to $800. She’s run longer races, and harder, this summer. “I did the Emperor’s Challenge, which I found hard this year,” says Annah. “I had a specific time that I wanted to do it in. I wanted to do it in under two hours. Then I did the Mount Robson. That was one of my most amazing runs ever. I thought it would be harder than the Emperor’s Challenge, but it was one of the best than I did.”

But her big race of the year comes next weekend. While most of the local runners will be participating in the Ridge Ramble, Kandah will be in Victoria, participating in the Victoria Marathon. Her goal? To qualify for the Boston Marathon.

“When you are a runner, you always want to challenge yourself,” she says. “For my age group, I have to do it in under 3:40. I was at 3:50 last year, and I was number 600, I think. This year, my target time is between 3:20 and 3:30.”

The Boston Marathon is already full for 2015, so she is trying to qualify for 2016, “I am hoping I don’t get injured. That would be the worst. Other than that, there’s really nothing else, but to be perfect.”